


Star Wars - Rise of the Skywalkers (remake)

by obviouslyelementary



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars - Rise of the Skywalkers, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, M/M, Rewriting the movie, Rise of the Skywalkers spoilers, Romance, Slow Burn, Spoilers, altering the ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21989236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary
Summary: In a galaxy far, far away, the Rsistance is doing their best to destroy the galatic emperor Palpatine, and with the help of two unlikely allies and the power of friendship and love, they shall restore the balance of the force once again.(It starts right after the fight between Rey and Kylo at the destroyed Death Star and I am finishing the movie my way)
Relationships: (more to be added) - Relationship, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't going to post this until it was complete but I think the replies I might get will help me continue the story so I am posting this hoping I will finish what I started (lmao)
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this first chapter.

She felt it. She felt it, and she fell to the ground. Her last hope. Her last family, gone, so far away from her hold, from her eyes, unable to help, unable to reach and whisper how much it meant, to have her, Leia, in her life.

Rey had lost so much. She went blind, for a second, or a minute, or an hour, lost in her feelings. She was angry, so angry, that Kylo destroyed her last hope to destroy Palpatine like Luke had tried to do. She was upset, now, that Leia had reached out to them, and died, using her strength to try and guide Kylo out of the darkness. Rey had given up. He had chosen his side after so many times she tried, but Leia still believed in him.

And now Rey was alone. Han was gone. Luke was gone. Leia was gone. And it was all because of Kylo. Kylo killed his entire family, for revenge, for power, and she only saw red. She was so angry, so sad, so... so hurt...

_'Succumb to it... let it take over... Rey... come to me'_

The voice in her head wasn't any that she had ever heard before. It wasn't Luke's or Leia's or someone else's that gave her comfort, knowledge, wisdom. No, this voice was dead, it reeked of darkness, it filled her head with images she didn't want to see, and she finally opened her eyes, gasping for air as she pushed away the voice and let her head go quiet again.

She didn't expect to see him kneeled, staring at her. Not in the slightest. Why she didn't know, because where else would Ren go? He wanted her to join him, so of course he would wait and stare at her until she came to the realization that she had no other choice but to go with him, find Palpatine and surrender to the darkness.

But as she stared into his eyes... something... something was different about them. He extended his hand, and she stared between his face and his hand for a long, long time, before she slowly reached out and took it, out of faith.

And when they touched... she felt it... like she felt with Han. With Luke. With Leia. A breath of relief filled her lungs and her eyes teared up, and she let out a sob before reaching for him and pulling him into a hug that was immediately responded with his arms wrapping around her, pulling her in, pulling her close.

"She's gone... they are all gone..." she whispered, brokenly, and sobbed against his shoulder, and he simply let out a soft sigh that she more felt than heard, before tightening his arms around her.

"I know" he whispered, and his voice was so calm, so unlike Ren's... it felt so comforting to her ears. "But we can still win."

Rey pulled away from his shoulder and looked at his face, seeing his teary, warm brown eyes looking down at her, a smile showing on his face that was so like hers... so peaceful and filled with knowledge. He truly was their son.

"Will you stay? Will you help us?" she asked, her voice trembling a bit, and he nodded, letting her go and holding her hands.

"Yes. I have the sith localizer. We can take it to your friends... and go together" he whispered, and she let out a shaky relieved sigh before nodding, wiping her tears and standing up. He stood with her, and she stared at his ship, with a new resolution inside her soul.

"Then that's what we will do. And we will defeat him... no matter the cost" she said, looking at him and nodding. "Ben..."

Ben smiled, and gave her a little nod, before they walked together to his ship and took the localizer. Now, they just needed to get back to the Falcon and get this over with.

\----------------------------------------------

"Alright okay. So. We are supposed, supposed to believe that Kylo Ren, the guy that like, killed a bunch of people and tortured a bunch of people and like, fucking destroyed a bunch of planets and shit, is now... on our side?" Poe asked, as soon as Rey explained everything to him and Finn and the others. After, of course, stopping them from opening fire against him. "Right. Sure."

"Poe, I am serious. He is on our side now. I told you, he... Leia sent us a message as she died. She saved him. And me" Rey said softly, holding Poe's hand. "You need to understand..."

"No, I understand someone betraying their leaders for revenge. I don't understand someone as merciless and cruel as Kylo Ren just deciding to become Ben Solo again" he said angrily, and Rey sighed, looking at Finn for help. But Finn just stared at Ben, without any expression on his face. Like he was studying him. Carefully.

"Finn?" she asked, trying to reach for him, and he slowly turned his gaze from Ben to Rey, giving her a slow nod.

"I believe you" he said, while Poe let out a loud 'what?!' in the background, walking in circles around them while pulling his hair. "I... can feel the change in him. Like I felt it in me... when I refused to shoot those people and decided that I couldn't be a stormtrooper."

Rey gave him a relieved smile and walked to him, hugging him tight. He hugged her back and sighed, kissing her cheek and looking back at Ben as Rey did. Poe just walked to them and sighed loudly, crossing his arms.

"I don't like this, I don't trust you, but what the fuck can I do I don't have the force feelings or whatever" he said, annoyed, and Ben simply gave him a slow nod.

"I don't expect any of you to trust me... but in an act of good faith..." Ben said, taking his saber from his belt and making Poe tense up before he handed it to Finn. "Take this. I know it isn't much, since I can still use the force, but it is a way that I can show you that I want to help."

Chewie, who until now had been silent, let out a loud growl in the background that Poe nodded to.

"Yeah I agree. But whatever. Welcome to the resistance I guess" Poe said, reaching out for a handshake, and Ben responded, shaking his hand slowly. "Now all of you, back to the Falcon, we gotta go to the base and show everyone where to go and destroy the last order."

"Lets go" Finn nodded and they all headed into the Falcon, but Rey and Ben, who looked at each other for a second. Ben seemed a bit hesitant, and Rey could feel it, so she reached out with her hand.

"Come on... he would like to see you in it" she said, smiling, and Ben sighed, reaching for her hand and holding it while they walked into the Falcon again.

As they got inside, feelings started to invade Ben again, and he felt somewhat breathless. The last time he had been inside his ship, as Kylo Ren, he had felt so angry, but now he just felt regretful. Nostalgic. Upset. It had his father's marks in every wall, every crevice, like it called him, and he let his hand slide through the panels, the walls, feeling the energy, almost like he could feel the ship welcoming him home again. He closed his eyes and sucked it in, hoping that wherever his mother, his father, his uncle were, that they forgave him for what he had done. Hoping that they would welcome him here, in the place he could call home.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't surprised to see Chewie looking down to him. He looked back up, staring at the fluffball he used to play with as a child, and felt even worse. He remembered how Chewie was the one that shot him back in the Star Destroyer, he remembered his painful cry as Han died, and he felt so sorry for what he had done.

"I'm sorry Chewie... I wasn't myself" he whispered, getting emotional again, but this time with grief instead of anger or frustration. Just grief and sorrow, and a memory that pained but calmed his heart. Chewie looked down at him in silence, which wasn't usual for wookies, before he whined a bit like he did and pulled Ben for a hug.

Ben had never felt so much relief in his life. He let out a sigh, holding onto Chewie's fur and closing his eyes tightly. He still had someone at least. Someone that forgave him for the awful things he had done and still loved him despite all of it. He felt like a child again, for a second, hugging uncle Chewie and playing with him through the Falcon while his father worked on something outside. That good feeling of a childhood from so long ago that never settled down.

They eventually pulled away, and Chewie whined some more while ruffling Ben's hair, making him laugh like he hadn't in such a long time. Then, the wookie followed to work on the ship, and Ben sighed, wiping the tears in his eyes and looking around before sitting next to the chess table and simply taking everything in.

He knew Rey and his friends had plans that didn't involve him, so he didn't want to intrude. Only when they reached Palpatine that he would take the situation in his hands and help them defeat the Sith lord. While they didn't, he would stay quiet, and meditate, try to contact his parents and uncle to see if he could get some guidance out of them.

He felt the ship shaking as it left the ground, he felt it taking flight and getting into lightspeed, heading towards the resistance's base so they could plan and head into Palpatine's lair. He had been there before, so he began to try and map out what would be their plan once they arrived. He wanted the resistance to have a good chance. And the more he thought about it, the more they realized they would have a better chance if he stayed with Rey's friends to stop the fleet of ships instead of heading into Palpatine's throne room and helping her defeat him.

That didn't seem good to him, but it was their best option.

Eventually, as he expected, when the ship was set to going to the base, someone approached him and sat down next to him. Because of the force, he knew exactly who it was, but he wouldn't say their name without opening his eyes. It would be weird. So he opened his eyes and turned his head to Poe, who set next to him.

"Dameron" he said, politely, and Poe's eyes narrowed towards him.

"I still don't buy it" Poe said, angrily, crossing his arms. BB8, who was always next to his master or next to Rey, let out a bunch of beeps that simply agreed with his master. "I don't believe you are on our side. And I won't believe it ever. Not even if we win. You want to not get punished for your acts and I will not let this happen, no matter who's son you are. Got it?"

"Perfectly" Ben said calmly. Poe seemed taken back by it. "I don't expect not to be punished for my mistakes. In fact I believe I will be punished, whether I want it or not. Whether you want it or not."

Poe frowned at that comment, leaning back and uncrossing his arms. Then he leaned closer to Ben, hand over the table, narrowing his eyes and frowning.

"You know what will happen, don't you?" he asked, and Ben gave him a calm nod. "How?"

"My mother showed me, before she died" he said, and Poe seemed to get uncomfortable again, looking away. "I can sense your bond to her. She saw you as a son, Dameron. She placed all her hopes on you."

"Yeah well that doesn’t matter" Poe said, but Ben could sense how defeated he was for her death. How he felt impotent, like he couldn't do anything. Like he was lost. Ben had felt like that once. He supposed that was very... not force sensitive of him. Everyone seemed to be lost, eventually. "What matters is... if you know what will happen, why don't you tell us? Or help us? Or anything?"

"I didn't believe my help would be welcomed" he said, calmly, and Poe sighed.

"It's not. Not by me anyway. But Finn and Rey seem to believe you. So what can I do? I'm the third wheel here" he said, annoyed, leaning back against the couch. Ben found interesting, how in one moment he was tense and protective, and now he just seemed defeated, leaning back against the couch and even closing his eyes, vulnerable to any attack. Ben believed Poe trusted him more than he even knew. "I'm just... so tired you know? I wish we could get a break but we only have eight hours left..."

"You do not have to keep fighting if you don't wish to. It is purely your choice Dameron" Ben said, calmly, but Poe looked at him and laughed.

"As if... As if I would abandon my friends ever. No way. Even if we are supposed to die, I won't let them die alone. I will be there holding their hands. They are everything I have."

"Then don't think of the war as duty, Dameron" Ben said, giving him a small smile. "Think of it as a way of saving your friends, and giving them the life they deserve."

Poe stared at him for a while, and then frowned, shaking his head.

"What the fuck happened to you... you are so... calm. And like, wise and stuff... is this what a Jedi looks like?"

"No. This is what Ben Solo looks like" Ben responded, just before Finn and Rey walked towards them from the command bridge, and Poe straightened up on the couch, looking as they sat down next to them, around the chess table.

"Our course to the base is settled. Now we need to start planning" Rey said firmly, opening a hologram of their troops. "We do not have enough people to defeat their troops, and we don't have any time to call for any reinforcements. Poe, since Leia passed, you will be the general. She ordered as much, you remember. Therefore, you will lead our airforce. Finn, if we ever need ground teams, you will be leading them. Ben and I will go straight to the source, Palpatine."

"Right... but how will we bring so many ships down with our fleet? We have no numbers" Poe said, and Finn smiled.

"I had an idea. We leave the Falcon to it. It is a symbol of the rebellion right? If we get someone to take it and call reinforcements, people will come" he said, and Poe nodded slowly.

"Okay so the plan is, pour fleet goes first, and someone takes the Falcon to get more troops that will arrive later?"

"Yes. And Ben and I will go before you, so we can reach Palpatine. They won't attack us, Palpatine is expecting us" Rey said, nodding slowly. "Once we are all there, we will disable their signals and that will give us a chance to strike. We won't have much time, or much room for error, but we will make it. I know we will."

"Wouldn't it be better to use... Ren? Ben? Dude here to infiltrate one of the ships and turn off their signals from within? I mean he is still... Ren" Poe said, and Ben sighed.

"I was thinking that exactly. I know I will be needed up against the fleet as much as I will be needed with you Rey" he said, and Rey frowned.

"Yes but... I can't go and fight him without you" she said, frowning, and Finn looked between them both.

"We could go first, and Rey, you go after. We reach the planet, turn off their signals, and once that's done we take Ben down to you and you and him fight Palpatine. That could work" he said, and they all looked around to each other. Then Poe had an idea, eyes widening.

"Or... we could make use of our prisoner" he said, and both Rey and Ben frowned as Finn gave Poe a grin.

"Oh I had forgotten we locked him up" he said, standing up, and both Rey and Ben did too, following Finn and Poe to the back of the ship in a little room that was sealed shut. When they opened the door, their prisoner let out a yelled through their gag, and Ben had to hold back a laugh.

"Well... I guess it was a good thing, to keep you" Poe said, smirking, as Finn gave them a few pats on their shoulder.

"Welcome to the resistance, ex general Hux."

\-------------------------------------------

"I am not, no way, going to work with him again!" Hux yelled, once they were all reunited by the Falcon, together with Finn's new friends that were all eating by the chess room. Rey, Finn, Poe and Ben were all inside the chambers with Hux standing in front of him. "You two know very well the only reason I betrayed the First Order was to finish with Ren and if you think I will be loyal to you at all, specially with him on your side, you are painfully mistaken!"

"Alright then" Poe shrugged, raising his blaster to Hux and making him let out a squeal.

"Don't kill me!"

"Then help us" Finn said, frowning deeply as Hux gave him a disgusted look. "You help us, and you're free. You know that if the Order wins, you will be killed. And you know that if you don't help us and we win, you will be sentenced to jail just like all the other generals before you. Your best chance is to help us. We will set you free then. You won't be charged for any crimes and you will be able to live a life in whoever way you desire."

Hux looked between all of them, disgust and anger clear in his eyes, before he let out a huff of air and crossed his arms tight in front of his chest.

"Fine. I will help" he said, and they all nodded. "But I want to be left alone after this. And I need a promise that I will be. So after I do what I must do, I want a ship, and no tracking devices."

"You will be given so. I promise" Rey said, and looked at both Poe and Finn, nodding to them. "Gather the others. We are leaving now. Back to the base. Ben and I will head off to Exegol before you. You can follow us then, and help us fight the army we will have waiting for us."

Poe and Finn nodded, giving Rey a quick touch and rushing into the cockpit to get the Falcon going. Hux sat down on the bed and Rey nodded for Ben to leave with her, locking the quarters' door after them so Hux couldn't escape or do anything against them. Finn's new friends, the rogue stormtroopers, all seemed a bit uncomfortable around Ben, so Rey took him to the other, empty side of the Falcon. They sat down on the little benches that were there, and she closed her eyes, deciding to meditate for a moment. She needed to balance herself, calm herself down after everything that had just happened.

As she did so, Ben slowly let his hand slide against the walls of the ship, feeling her, closing his eyes and letting the force impregnated into the metal pieces come through him, easing up his mind. This place brought him memories, good and bad, sweet and bitter, and he let all those feelings release into the nothingness. Nothing else mattered but what he knew, what he felt, deep inside himself. He let the good memories and feelings push down the bad ones, not to forget, but to remember, and his soul seemed to turn lighter, calmer.

His father, his mother, his uncle, their friends, their mentors, all of their memories and feelings, powers and thoughts, were all inside that ship, and for once he felt like he was home again. It felt very relaxing, to be home at last.

And then, he felt Rey next to him. Her conflict, her meditation, and he let himself move his free hand, the one that wasn't touching the walls of the ship, to move towards her, and as soon as his fingers touched her leg, he felt a wave of emotions so strong and connected to him that tears filled up his eyes. But he allowed it, and slowly passed to her his certainty, his confidence, that this would stop, that she wasn't bad just because of her past, just like he wasn't. That they weren’t supposed to follow anyone's footsteps but their own. That they would make their own paths now.

She calmed down slowly, and her hand reached out for his, holding onto it as they connected like they did before, but this time without the anger and fear, just steadiness and understanding.

Rey let out a soft breath, and they opened their eyes to look at each other.

"You seem very sure about all of this" she whispered, their hands still together as they now faced each other. Ben nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

"I am..." he said, and looked forward, away from her. "This... was my destiny all along. I thought I was supposed to rule the galaxy and finish what I believed my family started... but now I know better. All of this, all of their work... was for this moment. My destiny, as was theirs, is to aid you on your quest to save the galaxy, not from good or evil, but from the influence of the Sith, and balance the force once more."

Rey looked away from him, towards whatever he was looking at, losing her glance into her thoughts and sighing quietly.

"I don't know if I am strong enough" she whispered, squeezing his hand ever so gently. "I was never someone worth fighting for. I might not be a nobody, I might have a history that I am now aware of, but... I still feel like I am nothing... or even worse, that I am not worth all that I have been aiming for."

Ben looked at her, seeing her lost gaze, and turned to face her, pulling her gently until they were sitting face to face, knees touching, eyes connected. He held both of her hands and laid them down on their knees, closing his eyes and showing her all he had ever learned. How the force acted in strange ways. How everything had a propose and how everything would eventually turn out to be alright in the end, as long as they followed the force.

"They will guide us" he whispered and she let out a shaky breath. He could feel her sorrow, her mourning, her anger and sadness. He understood that very deeply. "No matter what we did... whom we failed... they will always be by our side Rey. No matter what."

"I miss them" she whispered shakily, her tears sliding down her cheeks. "I miss Han... Leia... Luke... they were the closest I ever had to a family... and they are gone..."

"But they are here with us anyway. No matter how many mistakes we have done" Ben assured, and opened his eyes to meet hers. "Besides, you do have a family now. Poe, Finn, the droids, Chewbacca, the Resistance... they are all your family now. I know it, I can sense it in you Rey."

She gave him a weak smile, wiping her tears gently with one hand and sighing quietly.

"You are a part of this family too, now. I know you might think you are not, and most of them will be defensive once you arrive, but you are part of it. And your family would be proud- they are proud."

Ben gave her a small smile and nodded, before taking her hand again and closing his eyes. She did the same, both meditating now together, uniting their strengths and feeling their power. They were strong enough to destroy Palpatine, as long as they were together, as long as they fought together.

They would bring balance to the force again.


	2. Chapter 2

"How can you trust him?"

Finn turned his attention from the panels to Poe, frowning a little bit.

"What?"

"Ren. How can you trust him?"

Finn looked at Poe as he turned to face him, leaving Chewie to the controls while he furrowed his eyebrows at Finn. He could see Poe's confusion, conflict and mistrust in his eyes, and it was a look that did not serve him.

"I can feel it" Finn said, softly, but Poe rolled his eyes as he knew he would. "It's true I can."

"You and Rey keep this 'feelings' talk but all I feel is despair and fear" he said, sighing and looking away, at nothing in particular. "We are fighting a war against him. He tortured me, you know? Actually yes you know, you were the one that saved me from that hell. And now I'm supposed to believe he changed? How? Why? They didn't give us any explanation they just showed up together and... fucking changed. Or whatever."

"And yet you believe Hux changed?" Finn asked and Poe laughed.

"What? No. He didn't. He is still an ass. The difference is that his motives are more realistic. And we have the upper hand. He is unarmed, defenseless and locked up, and he doesn't have any magical powers to fight us with. He's just a loser like we are. And we have him under wraps. Ren is free to wonder around the ship and do whatever he wants because you and Rey trust him."

"Poe we are not asking you to understand, we just want you to trust us" Finn said, reaching out, but Poe moved away from him and sighed loudly.

"I can't... you and Rey are putting this mission in a way higher risk than anything we have ever done before. And... and you are doing it together. Again" he said, and his tone softened, as he rubbed his face and took a deep breath. And Finn then realized that his mistrust on Ben wasn't all that was making him tense.

"Poe... tell me what's wrong" he said, placing his hand on Poe's shoulder. "What's really wrong."

"I don't have what you have" he said, softly, and pulled his hands away to look forward again. "I don't have this... this feeling, this connection. You and Rey always know what is happening, what to do, how to do it... you talk without saying anything and I'm always pushed aside... I know I'm not as important as you two but you are my friends right? I don't like feeling dislocated at every single moment we are together."

"Poe... you... you are not" Finn tried but Poe laughed and rolled his eyes again, pushing his hand away.

"Don't try it Finn. I'm never going to be connected to either of you. Ever. So just... save it" he said, looking back at the panels and taking control again. "Go rest Chewie I'll take us the rest of the way" he said, and after a bit of complaining from the Wookie, he left the cabin leaving them both alone.

Finn stared at Poe for a while, sensing his anger and sadness and confusion, but mostly his loneliness. He guessed that Poe too, just like himself and Rey, had secrets he himself didn't understand or want to understand. And that could hurt much more than he even knew.

"Do you want me to stay here Poe?" he asked, politely, but Poe just shrugged at him.

"Do whatever you want. I'll be fine on my own" he answered, coldly, and Finn let out a soft sigh before getting up and walking away from the cockpit. He walked through the ship, seeing BB-8 and the talking droid playing around, and seeing Chewie teaching their new friends how to play the chess, before he headed off and checked Hux's door to see if it was locked and safe.

Then he walked to the back of the ship, and saw Rey and Ben meditating one next to the other, eyes closed, floating around a centimeter off the bench. He couldn't help but feel the same jealousy he sensed on Poe, but he was aware that Rey would never leave them, and that Ben would be a formidable ally for their cause. They only had a few hours left, they had no time to lose.

He eventually approached the duo slowly, not wanting to bother them but at the same time, too curious not to, and Rey opened her eyes as he came close, giving him a small smile and getting up. Finn smiled back at her, while Ben opened his own eyes but remained on the bench in silence.

"Are we close to the base?" she asked, standing in front of him, and Finn nodded.

"Yes I think just a few more minutes and we will be there. Why?" he asked, and she let out a soft sigh.

"There are some things I have to tell you. Important things" she said, and took his hand, leading him to a quiet and empty place in the Falcon. It didn't seem like a big ship but now walking around Finn realized it had way more hidden spots than he had realized.

"What's wrong Rey?"

"There is something about me you should know."

"About your dreams?"

"No... about my origins" she said, and Finn's eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

"Did you find out who your parents were?"

\---------------------------------

"Three, two, one..." Poe muttered to himself and pulled them out of lightspeed, seeing the planet where their base was show up in front of them. He started to descend into the planet, making sure to go slow and steady and stop the Falcon at the camp base. He then walked back to where everyone was gathered, telling them they had arrived, and heading to the back to call Rey and Ren.

He found Ren sitting on a bench alone, and as he looked at him, he nodded to the back. Poe walked over to see Rey and Finn hugging, and felt his heart squeeze in jealousy again. He huffed, turning to Ren and staring daggers at him.

"Tell them we arrived. If they haven't felt it already" he said, walking off towards Hux, opening the doors and placing cuffs on him. "Come on."

"I hate this" Hux said, and Poe nodded as he took him out towards the prison. It wasn't very strong because they hadn't been able to capture many prisoners throughout the years but oh well. He locked him up and walked around the base, rushing towards the general's quarters.

"Poe wait" he heard Rose saying on the back of his head, but when he opened the curtains, no one was around. That was when he remembered. Rey had told them, Leia was gone. It hadn't hit him until now, but when it did, tears flooded his eyes and he closed them, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. Some people gathered around to tell him the news, but he shrugged them off and headed to the cave where Leia was laying down, dead. He shakily pulled the blanket away from her body, to see her dead, white face, as the tears finally left his eyes and slid down his cheeks.

The people that had come to calm him were now gone, worried about Rey's explanations as to why Kylo Ren was now with them, leaving Poe alone next to Leia. He was aware that Rey and Finn had stolen his post as her prodigy, but he was not lying when he felt like he had lost his mother all over again.

After his parents died in the war, after he ran away, he had no one left to guide him. Once the resistance began, he received a message from Leia herself, telling him to return to what he was always meant to be, and he did. He returned to fulfill what his parents had died to protect, and he became her apprentice. Everything he knew was because of her, and he had never felt so lost before.

Rose said Leia had named him general, but he couldn’t do this. He wasn't ready. He would never be ready. And as grief filled him in he laid his head on her chest, letting the tears run out of his eyes into the blanket that covered her body, sobs shaking his own body weakly until he felt a hand on his back.

He turned his face towards whoever was touching him, and a not so familiar face gave him a kind smile.

"I know" Lando whispered, rubbing his shoulder gently. "But she told me to stay here, and guide you. She knew it was her moment to go, and yours to assume her position."

"I'm not ready" Poe whispered, looking at the old general with a despaired feeling. "I'm not ready to lead, I don't know what to do, I can't do this."

"Neither could we, but we did it anyway" Lando said, sitting next to Poe. "We had each other. You need to find the friends you trust and use their help. Or else you won't get anywhere. She believed in you son. And I do too."

Poe wiped off the few tears that slid down and sighed shakily, looking at him with a weak nod.

"I know... but I haven't been able to trust any of my friends... they are hiding so many things from me and I feel lost... Like I don't belong..."

"I felt the same. I was lost when Han, Luke and Leia came to me for help. I gave them away, even. Almost killed my best friend. But I redeemed myself. I helped them do everything I could and I never looked back" Lando said, smiling at him. "You are already better than me Poe. You don't have to know what they are hiding. You just have to trust them, and help them. Nothing else matters."

"You say it like it's easy" Poe whispered with a small smile, and Lando let out a laugh filled with joy.

"It isn't easy son, but you can do it" he said, tapping him on the back. "Now get back there and help them. And win this war."

"I will" Poe said, standing up and fixing himself up. "I will. For the galaxy."

"For the galaxy" Lando agreed and Poe headed off, back into the crowd where they were all discussing Ren's legitimacy. Poe didn't trust him either, but didn't like him and didn't agree on having him on their team, but Rey and Finn were doing their best to explain while Ren just remained quiet, staring at the crowd and holding himself firm and steady.

And Poe knew he had to finish off this mess.

"OKAY EVERYONE QUIET!" he yelled out, standing in front of his friends and watching as the whole resistance shut up. Wow. He felt powerful. "We all know Ren has been our enemy since we started this war. We all know he is evil and he hurt many of us, many of our families, many of our planets and many of the things we loved. And I know, as much as you do, how hard it is to believe and understand in all this force talk. But Rey and Finn would never and have never put us in danger. And I believe in them. I believe that Ren is dead, and this man in front of us is none other than Ben Solo, son of our former generals Han Solo and Leia Organa. He is the nephew of Luke Skywalker, or Lando Calrissian, of Chewbacca, and he is family to most of our leaders. To all of our former leaders. And he is back now as family! He is our best chance to defeat Palpatine and his army! And the force be damned, Leia put me in charge, and therefore, we will accept Ben Solo with no more questions or refutations! Now back to work!" he yelled, and everyone stood quiet for a minute or so before returning slowly to their posts.

Rose walked to them, giving the trio a hug and whispering a 'good job' to Poe before heading back, and Poe sighed as he turned around, looking at a surprised Finn and Rey, and an eyebrow arching Ben.

"Poe..." Rey whispered, softly, filled with happiness and relief, but Poe shook his head.

"Don't thank me yet. I don't trust him, but I can't let our soldiers doubt over our choices" he said, and turned to Ben, pointing his finger at him. "If you fail us... I swear I will go after you and kill you myself. Got it?"

He expected a laugh, a sarcastic remark, something to humiliate him, but Ben simply nodded, looking more centered and honest than ever before.

"If I fail you, I will allow you to kill me myself" he said, his voice somber and soft, so different from the times Poe had heard Kylo Ren speaking. Rey smiled, and Finn let out a sigh of relief.

"What is our plan now general?" Finn asked, and Poe sighed quietly.

"You two will be my generals too. I can't do this alone" he said, looking between Finn and Rey. They both nodded. "Now we will all gather all the information we have. We only have one Sith localizer so you and Ren- I mean Ben will go to Exegol before us, leaving landmarks for us. Our fleet will follow. We will send Lando and Chewie on the Falcon to gather more people. We will use Ben and Hux to infiltrate their command ship, if necessary. It is the best plan we have."

"It is a good plan" Finn assured, holding his arm and making Poe feel calmer immediately. He looked between the three of them and sighed.

"I will gather the troops and explain to them everything we have. You three should... go say your goodbyes" he whispered, nodding to the cave. Finn, Rey and Ben turned their faces towards where Leia was resting, and Finn gave Poe a nod.

"I will be right there with you" he whispered, before the three of them walked off towards the bed. Poe watched them and sighed before heading to the posts and gathering the Resistance. Their plan had to work.

\----------------------

After they left Poe, the trio headed to where Leia was laying, Ben staying behind as Finn lead Rey towards her. Finn had a few tears in his eyes, and Rey had some down her cheeks, reaching out and placing her hand on Leia's cheek to feel if there was any force left on her. There wasn't. She was fully gone. Rey let out a quiet sob, and Finn hugged her close, but she didn't say anything at all. She just hugged Finn back and then moved away, telling him to leave Ben alone in a whisper and taking him outside the cave.

Ben, however, approached his mother very slowly, kneeling down in front of her without any tears in his eyes. He closed them, reaching out, holding her hand and feeling her, and for a moment he felt lost, weak, tempted to use what he had learned and push his vital force back into her to allow her to live, how he couldn't do with his father and uncle.

They all died because of him, and that guilt was beginning to weight heavily on his shoulders.

Ben took a deep breath, allowing himself to feel that pain and let it go. It hurt, deeply, but there was nothing he could do now. They were all gone and he simply couldn't bring them back. He had to deal with the choices he had made, and he had to make up for them by winning the war and saving what his family stood for.

Still, he wished there was someone that could at least give him some type of comfort.

"So... you are really back."

That voice made his eyes widen. He tensed up, and looked over, unsure how his powers had not alerted him of another presence in the surroundings. Maybe he was too focused on his mother to notice. But now he saw him clear as day.

Inside his heart, flashes of memories came back, bringing him a feeling of peace he hadn't felt in a long time.

"You... when? How?" he whispered, standing up, and Lando shrugged lightly like his father would do, a charismatic, calm smile on his face.

"Your friends found me in Passana. They told me to come back, that they would need my assistance in the battle. I came" he said, simply, and sat down on the chair next to Leia's bed. "Now I am guarding her, until our time comes to strike. It is what your father would have wanted."

Ben stared at Lando, the only family he had left next to Chewie, and sighed shakily, kneeling down again in front of him and lowering his head, bowing to him.

"Forgive me... please" he whispered, shakily, the tears he hadn't shed now coming to his eyes, his heart feeling with grief. "I have no one to turn to now..."

"Kid... they already forgave you" Lando said, with that happy tone of his, and his hand laid on Ben's head, caressing it gently, making him look up. "I am in no place of holding any grudge. They loved you too much. I love you too much, Ben. You did the right thing in the end. You are here, aren't you?"

"But I-" Ben said, or tried to, his voice getting caught in a sob he held back, but Lando shushed him and tapped his cheek gently. Ben felt like a child again, sad and alone, but Lando's eyes gave him the comfort he was hoping to see at least once more.

"It's over. It's done. It's okay" Lando said, firmly, and Ben stared at him before reaching out and pulling Lando in a hug. He let out a soft sob, and Lando held him close, closing his own eyes and rubbing his back, like he used to do before. "It's okay kid... you're okay..."

Ben honestly hoped so, with everything he had, that it was in fact alright.

\---------------------

After explaining the plan to the Resistance, after assuring ben was their ally now and that they would use him and their prisoner Hux to infiltrate the Last Order's ships and end them from the inside if necessary, they were all ready to execute their plan. Rey and Ben walked to one of the ships in the resistance, taking off, while the rest of the crew waited for their signals to be sent from the inside of the unknown regions. Lando and Chewie were sent off to gather more ships and people, as many as they could, while the rest all gathered in their ships and waited for the signals.

Poe let out a sigh as he stood next to his ship, looking over at the sky in hopes of finding comfort in the stars. There was none. He felt as alone and desperate as before. He wasn't ready for a battle like this, they had almost no chance, and he was lying to himself and all the others by believing that something would come and save them.

Finn approached him slowly as he thought, making him surprised as he held Poe's shoulder. He looked at him, and Finn gave him a smile.

"It will work out. Have faith" he whispered, and Poe sighed, leaning against his ship and looking at Finn with a weak expression.

"I can't... there is so much that could go wrong Finn..."

"Are you the same man I met before, in a cruiser, being tortured over some plans, that helped me escape and then met me again, alive and well?" Finn asked, frowning softly. "Poe, you have done more dangerous things than this. This... is nothing for you."

"I have done dangerous things that involved myself and no one else. I can't be responsible for the entire resistance. My plans can destroy everyone, and all their deaths would be on my shoulders" Poe said, letting out a shaky breath as his eyes threatened to tear up again. "This is crazy Finn..."

Poe turned his face away to look at their troops, but Finn held his cheek tenderly and turned his face back to him, making Poe's heart almost skip out of his throat. Finn's warm hands and his gentle eyes made something twist in Poe's core.

"Crazy is giving up and letting the empire win again" he whispered, looking deep into Poe's eyes. "What you are doing... is the opposite of crazy. Is the only sane thing to do."

Poe swallowed thickly, his breath slightly shaken, but Finn pulled him for a tight hug that made all his insides warm and his worries dissipate, at leas for the duration of the hug. Poe hugged him back, tight, and dug his face into Finn's neck, where he felt safe and calm for some reason. He sighed, and Finn rubbed his back, pulling away with a smile.

"We can do this Poe. We can" he whispered, and Poe nodded, entranced by Finn. His mouth opened, ready to whisper something, before Rose ran to them, holding their arms.

"Generals, Rey started to mark the points in the unknown regions. It's time."

Finn nodded and gave Poe a last squeeze on the arm before leaving for his ship, and Poe watched him, silent until R2 beeped next to him, pulling him away from his trance.

"Oh shut up" he huffed to R2, who beeped again. "Get in your post..." he added and R2 left to get inside the ship as Poe gave Finn a last glance before he entered his ship.

He had to survive this war.

If only to see Finn again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for everyone who is reading, comments and kudos are still very much appreciated. I hope you liked this more Poe centered chapter. All chapters will be random about who will lead up, like the movies. I'm trying to be as faithful as I can but of course, some things change. I hope my Ben isn't too OOC but then again who is Ben Solo right hahaha. 
> 
> Thanks for reading again!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, comments and kudos are so appreciated, hope you liked it!
> 
> On to the second chapter hahaha


End file.
